20090708每日一词

junli

shibboleth

\SHIB-uh-lith; -leth\ , noun:
1.A peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that distinguishes a particular group of persons.
2.A slogan; a catchword.
3.A common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.
名词 n.
1.(基督教《圣经》)考验用的词
2.口令或暗语
3.特殊的习惯

Quotes:
Accustomed to the veneer of noise, to the shibboleths of promotion, public relations, and market research, society is suspicious of those who value silence.
~John Lahr,
The fish oil shibboleth is only the latest to be overturned in recent years. Vitamin supplements and fibre have also been found to provide no benefits.
~Nigel Hawkes, "Nice idea, but where's the proof?", Times (London), March 24, 2009
Class size is another shibboleth: First, small class sizes do not increase learning, and, second, class sizes have become quite small anyway.
~Jay Nordlinger, "The Anti-Excusers", National Review, October 27, 2003

Origin:
Shibboleth is from Hebrew shibboleth, "stream, flood," from the use of this word in the Bible (Judges 12:4-6) as a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites, who could not say 'sh' but only 's' as in 'sibboleth'.